


A Private Dinner

by catisacat



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 10:11:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10090949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catisacat/pseuds/catisacat
Summary: If Jack knew his original crew of Vault Hunters still met up every year he'd have them all killed.Thankfully, he doesn't.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short little fic about one of my favorite headcanons. The Pre-Sequel crew was actually incredibly close and kept meeting up long after the events of TPS.

Wind whipped the long cloaks covering the shadowy figures wandering towards the train to Lynchwood. It started off with the two but a third and a fourth quickly joined them. Simultaneously ignoring and furiously stealing glances at each other.

Silently, they dragged their bags towards the station. It wasn’t long before the taller woman had handed off her bag to the smaller man. A wordless contract.

The train ride was no less awkward. There was a short, bulky woman sandwiched between a wall of muscles and a leaner but still imposing man. The other side was entirely occupied by the tall woman, spread out and examining her nails.

“Do you know what subtle means?” the shorter woman asked, gesturing towards the elaborate, expensive outfit on the sprawled diva.

“Do you know what fashion means?” she replied, adjusting the hood as if obscuring her face was enough.

Nothing else was said as the train rumbled across the wasteland.

Dead bodies hung over the sign to Lynchwood.

The cloaked figures looked up at them as they passed into the town.

One scoffed. One gagged. One sighed. One smiled.

All of them grew even more impossibly quiet as the sheriff walked out to roughly and quickly gesture for them to follow her.

Townhall had been completely rearranged. Two small tables had been pushed together and already had a small feast on it. Nisha had insisted she could swing the food herself, more than enough underlings to cook for the five of them. She locked the door behind them, putting chairs against the doors to better fortify them.

Cloaks whipped off as they hung them on the racks. Timothy smiled widely, releasing the need to hug at long last as he picked up a protesting Athena. She eventually relented though, giving him a squeeze back once he returned her to the ground. He made no leeway getting one from Aurelia or Wilhelm but surprisingly he got a bit of a strangly one from Nisha.

Athena made a little choking noise as Nisha gave her one too, boney arms wrapped too tightly around her neck. She wondered if the cowgirl even knew how to give a normal hug. To Timothy’s disappointment Aurelia and Wilhelm also relented and embraced Nisha.

Hugs ended abruptly as Nisha smiled widely and calmly announced, “Well don’t y’all look like shit?”

“Maybe we’d be a little more put together, darling, if you didn’t live in the middle of the goddamn desert,” Aurelia affectionately quipped.

“Hey, fits my aesthetic. What can I say?”

“It’s one hell of a terrifying town, can’t say I’m not impressed,” Athena nodded towards the door, “The hanging psychos are a nice touch. Really brings the place together.”

That wasn’t quite a joke. Athena could appreciate the dedication. Gotta keep the town name accurate, don’t you?

Nisha beamed at that, putting a had on Athena’s back to steer her towards the table, “Ya always did know how to flatter me. Ever thought about leaving Janey and running away with me?”

“Don’t think Jack would like that.”

Silence fell again.

Jack didn’t know about this little rendezvous, of course.

Had he known he would have fast travelled down here and strangled the lot of them. Well, not Nisha. Maybe not Athena or Wilhelm. But Timothy and Aurelia would definitely be in the strangle zone.

They shook it off. Nisha only grabbed Athena’s shoulders, putting her in the chair near the head of the table, “Well, if we elope they won’t have time to react.”

Things livened up again as they all sat down and started to dig into their bags. Each had brought something to eat as well as a slew of gifts. Athena had brought one of Janey’s cakes, lovingly prepared with the promise that the next one she made didn’t have to go to a party she wasn’t invited to.

Aurelia and Wilhelm weren’t really world class chefs. However, the clearly expensive and utterly foreign looking hors d'oeuvres the latter brought definitely made up for the former’s contribution. Truxican food, definitely not fresh, definitely from a dodgy food truck.

Timothy, of course, had brought fresh baked cookies with minimal cat hair. He’d even gone so far as to decorate each one with their favorite colors. Surprisingly, everyone played along and actually took the plate with their own.

Nisha had just had her men whip up the main courses. Skag roast, Rakk burgers, Bullymong dogs, the works. A few of them had their stomachs rumble, unaccustomed to seeing so much food at once.

As they all dug in they chattered excitedly to each other. Eventually Aurelia took the reins of conversation though, “What has everyone been up to?”

“Me and Janey are getting married soon,“ Athena answered.

While she was content to leave it at that everyone prodded. Nisha prodded the big question, “So which one’a us is gonna be your best woman?”

The wiggling of her eyebrows made the case for herself.

“Like I could smuggle you into Sanctuary AND have you be a prominent part of the ceremony. First part’s gonna be hard enough. Timothy’s gonna be my best man,” Athena said, nodding her head towards the now-delighted man.

“Really?” he beamed.

“I was going to wait until after the dinner to ask you. Figured you’d say yes either way.”

His face said it all.

“Alright, alright, Athena’s been in happy lovely world. What about the rest of us?” Aurela interjected again, “Nisha?”

“It’s been good. Finally got Lynchwood exactly as I like it, gettin’ a lot of work done.”

“Wilhelm?”

He simply shrugged, “Got money. Got robotic upgrades. Can’t complain.”

“Timothy?”

“You know, on the run. Trying not to show my face anymore than necessary.”

“An’ how’s that goin’?” Nisha teased, “Freaked anyone out?”

Surprisingly a smile snuck its way onto Timothy’s face, “Actually, maybe it’s a legitimate tactic I use. Gotta use it sparingly, can’t leave a trail but suddenly dumping this face on someone scares a lot of people off. Still got the mask and everything too. It’s not a big thing but it is one good silver lining to this.”

“Well… I guess everything’s got a bright side if you look hard enough,” Athena nodded, starting to cut off a large chunk of Skag for herself.

“‘Cept death,” Nisha joked.

Wilhelm raised a finger to retort with a mouthful of cake, “Light at the end of the tunnel.”

“What about you Aurelia?” Athena asked, turning it back to the rich woman.

“Oh you know. Being fabulously wealthy. Trying to stay busy.”

Nisha smiled back, “Ain’t we all?”

“Enough talking. Eat.”

Everyone laughed as Wilhelm proclaimed that, dumping some of his Truxican food on all their plates.

Despite his order they continued to chat as they wolfed down disgusting amounts of food. A true happiness that most of them didn’t regularly experience be they alone in a turbomansion, planning a wedding, ruling a town, being a henchman or on the run.

As they had every year since they absolutely dragged it out, trying to find any excuse for the night not to end. But as the moon loomed above them, high in the sky, they knew that they had to go. None of them wanted to as hugs were exchanged again, this time no one missing anyone.

Once again the violent winds of the wastelands tore at their cloaks as they walked away from the train, splitting apart again.


End file.
